Trevor Lewis back at practice with Kings, who are likely to shuffle lines at Montreal

Greetings from Montreal, where it has been rainy and just warm enough to keep the rain from turning into snow before the Kings face the Canadiens on Thursday at the Bell Centre.

There wasn’t any snow at Mont Tremblant, the ski resort where the Kings spent time Tuesday and Wednesday, but they managed to relax and bond as a team before they traveled to Montreal and held their morning skate Thursday.

Center Jeff Carter didn’t skate; Coach Darryl Sutter said Carter is fine, and in the past Carter has played after he missed morning skates. Trevor Lewis, who hasn’t played since Dec. 1 because of a lower-body injury, participated in the skate but hasn’t been activated off the injured reserve list yet. It’s more likely he will play Saturday at Toronto than on Thursday.

Some changes in the line combinations could happen Thursday if the configurations seen during the morning skate are an indication. The biggest change was Milan Lucic being placed alongside Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik. That trio played together at the start of the season but didn’t really mesh, leading Coach Darryl Sutter to put Lucic with Carter and Tyler Toffoli. Lewis centered for Michael Mersch and Toffoli, though Carter is expected to take Lewis’ place during the game. Tanner Pearson was on the left with Nick Shore and Dustin Brown, leaving Andy Andreoff, Jordan Weal and Jordan Nolan as the fourth line.

Lewis said he hadn’t been knocked out of the lineup by a specific injury but was a victim of wear and tear.

“Just kind of banged up,” he said. “I’ve been skating for about five days back at Toyota [Sports Center] with Nelson Emerson. It’s feeling better and better every day. It was good to get back out there and skate with the guys and see everybody again.”

Lewis also said he hadn’t talked to Sutter about the coach’s plan for his return. The Kings, 2-1-1 on this trip, will wrap up the trip Saturday at Toronto. “Hopefully, I’ll get in at least one of the two games,” Lewis said.

Also, it was interesting to see the Montreal media flock to Milan Lucic, who was reviled here while he played for the Boston Bruins and had a big role in the Bruins’ rivalry with the Canadiens. Teammate Drew Doughty said he enjoyed being out around Montreal with Lucic and seeing passersby react when they realized their old enemy had returned.

“Walking around town with Looch, everyone’s recognizing him,” Doughty said. “I think most of them don’t like him but when they see him in person, they’re always happy to get a picture with him and stuff like that. He’s a legend here, and rightfully so.”

Lucic, patiently and graciously answering a barrage of questions, said he was eager to see what it will be like to play at the Bell Centre on a team that’s not as hated by Canadiens fans as the Bruins. “Just because the battles you’ve had with them in the past, that lives with you as an athlete,” he said. “I haven’t had a lot of wins in this building, so it would be nice to come out with two points.”

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